New from Charlotte

[Jon Martin]

Hello,

I'm a Parker owner from Charlotte, NC. Have been shooting skeet, trap, and sporting clays most of my life, and my first job as 12 was a trap boy.

I have inherited two Parkers -- one that was my Great Grandfather's (will likely never part from it), and one that my Dad purchased along the way.

Don't know much about them, so look forward to doing research, ordering letters, and hoping some of the members here can help me out.

Parker #1 - Serial Number 152910 (1910)
20 Gauge sxs with some decently ornate engravings. 20 ga, Parker Special Steel barrels

Parker #2 - Serial Number 102341 (1901)
12 Gauge sxs with minimal engravings, 12 ga, Vulcan Steel barrels

Thanks,
Jon

[Gerald McPherson]

Welcome Jon: We love pictures.

[Garry L Gordon]

Welcome! I echo Gerald's comment -- show us some pictures if you can. Order a letter...and join the PGCA (maybe in reverse order to save money).

I'm envious that you have "family" Parkers. Consider yourself blessed.

[Josh Loewensteiner]

Jon,

My offices are in Charlotte. Feel free to PM me if you want to connect.

[keavin nelson]

152910 isn't in the serialization book, but 911 is. Look on the water table, there should be a single number or letter below the SN, that is the grade.

[edgarspencer]

Hi Jon, Your 20 ga. is a GH, possibly GHE, the E designating Ejectors.
There are factory records available, should you want a Letter on the gun.
G grade guns, in smaller bores, are quite desirable. One just sold here, a few days ago,for just south of $9000.
If you join the PGCA, you can get your membership, and a letter for less than the price a non-member would pay for just the letter.

[Jon Martin]

Thanks so much for all the informative responses.

Yes, old thread, I know. Life went a little sideways for me in 2020 and I put the toys away in the safe for a bit.

I'll take some pics this week and post them. Will def. join PGCA as well.

Thanks,
Jon

[Dean Romig]

And we welcome you Jon!





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[Jon Martin]

Here are some pics of the first Parker. This one has been in our family since new.

Parker #1 - Serial Number 152910 (1910)
20 Gauge sxs with some decently ornate engravings. 20 ga, Parker Special Steel barrels, ejectors

[Dean Romig]

Nice GHE 20 gauge! Everybody should have a Parker 20.





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[Brian Dudley]

Someone replaced the wood on that gun at some point. In case you were not aware.

[Jon Martin]

Good to know, thanks! Stock, forearm, or both?

[Jon Martin]

Here are some pics of number 2, which I believe is a VH 12 ga with ejectors.

Parker #2 - Serial Number 102341 (1901)
12 Gauge sxs with minimal engravings, 12 ga, Vulcan Steel barrels

[Brian Dudley]

Good to know, thanks! Stock, forearm, or both?

Both.

[Austin J Hawthorne Jr.]

Also, I believe I see a damascus pattern partially obscured on the barrel flats. Does the top rib say "Parker Special Steel" or "Damascus Steel"?

[John Knobelsdorf II]

There is also clearly visible on the barrel flats (of the Grade 2 20 gauge):

4
D

Making a picture of the rib marking more interesting.

[Jon Martin]

A couple more shots of the GHE 20ga

[Brian Dudley]

The barrels have been sleeved. They were damascus. Now fluid steel, done with monoblocking.
The rib mark has been changed. You can see the sleeve joints in the barrels.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

oh well, all is not lost, as they say. Sure the stock is not original and the damascus barrels have been mono blocked to fluid steel. People did things to their guns without worry about their future value, but to make them more usable for themselves at the time. It would still be a sweet little 20 shooter. You have no money involved, and it was your fathers. Keep it, shoot it, have fun and enjoy it.

[Jon Martin]

Thanks for the info, all.

The GHE 20 has always been a shooter -- my great grandfather and grandfather used it in the field regularly -- and my Dad shot numerous straights on the skeet field with it in the 80s. Not surprised one of them had the wood and barrels redone - it has been well loved and used over the years.

The VHE 12 was added to the collection in the 90s - have shot it a couple times, but it's been awhile.

[Bill Murphy]

I do not believe your VH is an ejector gun.

[Dean Romig]

You're right Bill, it's not an ejector gun, so it's a VH rather than a VHE.





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[Brian Dudley]

Thanks for the info, all.

The GHE 20 has always been a shooter -- my great grandfather and grandfather used it in the field regularly -- and my Dad shot numerous straights on the skeet field with it in the 80s. Not surprised one of them had the wood and barrels redone - it has been well loved and used over the years.

The VHE 12 was added to the collection in the 90s - have shot it a couple times, but it's been awhile.


There was a time when all Damascus guns were thought to be unsafe to shoot, or to even think about shooting. So a lot of guns got sleeved in the 60s and 70s so that they could be “shootable”. A lot of perfectly shootable guns were hacked apart so that they could be perceived to be safer. Decades later after enough testing, study and common sense, it is found that is not the case. What was once thought to be saving a gun and making it usable, today is seen as having its value destroyed. How things can change.